Ernest Pedapati, MD, MS, FAAP

I am a child and adolescent psychiatrist and physician-scientist in the divisions of child and adolescent psychiatry and neurology at Cincinnati Children’s and a professor in the University of Cincinnati Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience. I specialize in the evaluation and treatment of children, adolescents and young adults with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, fragile X syndrome, ADHD and other genetic or developmental disorders associated with complex behavioral and psychiatric symptoms.

My clinical work emphasizes thoughtful interdisciplinary assessment, advanced medication management and long-term treatment planning for patients whose needs span psychiatry, neurology and developmental medicine. I am particularly interested in translating advances in neuroscience into more precise and clinically useful approaches for individuals with developmental disabilities and related psychiatric conditions.

My research focuses on translational neurophysiology, with an emphasis on EEG and other biomarkers that improve understanding of brain function in neurodevelopmental disorders and support the development of targeted treatments. My work has centered on fragile X syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and related conditions, including studies of sensory processing, cortical excitability, language and cognition and treatment response. I have also contributed to clinical and translational research involving transcranial magnetic stimulation, neuromodulation and biomarker-guided clinical trials.

In addition to my work in fragile X syndrome and autism, I serve as the Cincinnati EEG lead for the NIH-funded Healthy Brain and Child Development Consortium, contributing to large-scale efforts to better understand early brain development. My work has been recognized through institutional and national awards, and I am frequently invited to present on translational EEG biomarkers and fragile X research at national and international meetings.

While my clinical and research roles are distinct, they are closely connected by a shared goal of improving outcomes for children and families through rigorous neuroscience, careful clinical judgment and collaborative translational research.